ஹிரோஷிமா
வரலாறு.காம் ஜூலை 15 இதழில் வெளிவந்த அணுகுண்டு என்ற கட்டுரையின் ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பு. கட்டுரையின் தன்மை மாறாமல் ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழிபெயர்த்துத் தந்த உமா அவர்களுக்கு நன்றி.
Hiroshima
Finally, it was 1st of July - The D Day to fulfill my long cherished wish. Whoever came to know about my proposed visit to Hiroshima, each one had his own piece of advice to offer! The one common reply was, it would make me cry! “Me? No way! I am supposed to be the “He Man” who would never cry; rarely I had shed tears in the last 30 years of my life” was my standard reply to them.
Masamitsu and Noriko, the two Japanese elderly couple, who had lived in 1945 near the place where the atom bomb was dropped, were the ones who gave me maximum information on Hiroshima, most of which, I have included in this write-up.
The walking-trail near my office, which is full of cherry trees and no vehicles to worry about, is a beautiful place. Late evenings, when I return home from office, if it had just stopped raining, make me spend some time under these cherry trees in this walking-trail, soaking in the beauty of the place. That is when I meet up with Masamitsu and Noriko couple who would be on their 2-hour walking exercise session. Grandpa is 75 and Grandma is just 77! Undertaking two hours walking is something rare in our country, whereas this is a routine for these people. Food, physical fitness and exercise are very important for them.
During my swimming sessions, the sight of elderly people above the age of 70 swimming better than me, makes me feel little jealous about their fitness. The rest-break is the time to catch up with them on their flash-backs and feelings about the present generation. This gives me many unwritten history of Japan. We feel that our youngsters have no interest in Tamil; similarly they also feel that the present day Japanese speak the language wrong and have no interest in speaking it the right way! They feel that many words are forgotten and English is substituting those words and thus many words are going out of parlance. They are worried as to the future of their language. They feel that the girls are getting westernized and they don’t respect elders; they are concerned about their tradition and culture. In all these conversations, my proposed visit to Hiroshima made an elderly lady comment that it is going to be an emotionally charged and unforgettable day in my life!
I should mention the advice of a friend that I should carry an umbrella with me as it is going to be a rainy day. As there was still a week to go before my trip, I was wondering why this man has to mention the need for umbrella, and how is he predicting the rain even one week earlier?
I should mention here, that Japanese use weather forecast very religiously. Everyday, even before they read newspaper or have coffee, they have to see the television or the Internet for that day’s weather forecast! The day is planned accordingly! That too, now when the rain God is on overwork, the service of weather forecasting station is very essential. During summer, though it rains and reduces the heat to a certain extent, the days when the rain is less, we can feel the heat of the Sun even till eight o’clock in the night! Even the Wind God has no much strength when the Sun is reigning supreme. May be that is what makes the rain God and wind God to form a coalition to reduce the tyranny of Sun! August and September are the months when you can feel this coalition in full force! They anticipate a minimum of ten to fifteen tsunami attacks in this season. Though the place of tsunami attack remains unpredictable, the after-effect of tsunami is almost negligible. Complete seacoast near residential areas has a rocky barricade to reduce the force of the sea waves. Standing on my balcony of my house 30 feet away from the seashore, I can enjoy the tsunami attack. See the magic of protection and the security that preparedness gives! Tsunami is reduced to a toothless snake here and hence the repeated visits of this snake cannot deter the common man.
Finally, the day of the visit came. As I was told that the mountainous path of Osaka to Hiroshima is very beautiful, I booked my ticket for daytime bus. As warned by my friend, it had started raining by 6 o’clock. It started pouring when I took the bus and occupied the window seat. It is fun to watch the pouring rain sitting comfortably in a place where you cannot get drenched. That reminded me my visit to Dhalavanur rock cut cave near chennai of Palalava king Mahendra varma on a rainy day! The insides of the cave were a safe haven for us from the thunder and lightning that come along with the rain.
That was an experience climbing the mountains and going under the dark tunnels! Bus had not reduced its speed of 90 kmph even while climbing the hillocks during the downpour! The comfortable journey listening to Ilayaraja’s lullaby transcended me to a stage of half-sleep; how I wished I could pen some fantastic lyrics on the falling raindrops, running mountains, hiding sky, blossoming flowers and rain drenched trees! Alas! Not all can become a Wordsworth! The bus finally reached Hiroshima.
The scarred, dilapidated remains of the building of Hiroshima Metropolitan Industrial Development Corporation stands as you enter the place. Next to get your attention is the beautiful memorial to pay homage to the 3,20,000 people of Hiroshima and 40,000 soldiers of world war who lost their precious lives on that one fateful day.
One might wonder whether the bombing was an accidental mistake done in a few days. It is shocking to know that the bombing was a very meticulously planned attack and has a background history of nearly 100 years, which is chronologically recollected in this article.
1853 A.D
Though Second World War started in the midst of 20th century, the seeds for this were sown much earlier, in 1853. The new government that took charge of Japan in 1853 accelerated the growth in social, economical and industrial front and made Japan a force to reckon within the Asia region. This was the year when Japan broke its self imposed ban of trading with the western countries, as it realized the weakness that isolation would impose on itself and decided to go along with the other countries in improving trade ties. This was the year when Mr.Mathew C Perry landed on the shores of Edo harbor in Tokyo as the business representative of European and American countries. Treaty of Kanagawa was signed and trade and commerce blossomed!!
1895 AD
Japan prided itself on its ancient civilization of more than 2000 years but at the same time, realized that it needs to improve its economic and military strength. Japan achieved tremendous growth in less than 40 years of opening up its economy; which turned out to be its strength as well as weakness. Japan became a truly powerful nation with the advent of the world tour of its leaders, England’s naval training, Germany’s military training and the patriotic fervour of the youth of Japan induced by the speeches of its leaders. All this gave an urge to the newly powerful Japan to try its strength on its neighbour, Korea, with no obvious reason for an attack. Japan truly arrived in the group of the powerful nations with its victory over Korea achieved in very short time.
1904 AD
The attack on Korea left the world with a shock, which was subdued by another shock it gave by attacking the other neighbour Russia! Though Russia was stronger in terms of its military capabilities, it struggled to face the Japanese who were adept in guerilla warfare. The war that went on for 2 years ended with the American President Roosevelt’s help wherein Russia got to retain all its places and Japan got to retain its position in the group of powerful nations.
The First World War
The beginning of the First World War did not find Japan an active participant, as it focused on continuing its developmental phase. But in 1917 when it saw that Germany’s defeat is inevitable, it decided to join hands with the allied forces, considering the political gains. Japan’s calculation of capturing the pacific islands and harbors captured by Germany misfired and at the end of the war it was allowed to retain a few of the captured islands and the rest of the islands and harbors were returned to the respective countries.
End of the First World War
The leaders of Japan realized after the end of the First World War that it was not getting as much support as the other countries gave and received amongst themselves. Japan had to depend on other countries as it was rich only in terms of its fishery industry. They had practically experienced the difficulties in not having a smooth trading relationship with other countries. At the same time, the small island nation struggled to manage the multiplying population and the economy started its downward trend. As it had to depend on other countries for import of raw materials and machinery to keep its factories working, industrial growth also took a beating. Japan attacked Singapore and China and brought their wealth into Japan. In the meanwhile, Second World War started in 1939.
1939 AD
This year marks the announcement of the Second World War by Britain and France and also the recommendation to use the dreaded atomic weapon in warfare by a group of American scientists. In 1938 German scientists achieved the technical know-how to split the atom. Those scientists who had been driven out by the Nazi Germany and had taken refuge in America, along with another scientist by name Leo Szilard, convinced Einstein to write to President Franklin Roosevelt on the atomic bomb. On acceptance from the President, research on the manufacture of atomic weapon started.
1941 AD
In the midst of the raging war, talks, attacks as well as agreements were happening between countries. Japan attacked Philippines. America had promised help to Philippines. America and Japan were involved in the discussion on this issue. In the first week of December 1941, a large fleet of fighter crafts left the naval center of Hiroshima towards Hawaii Island. The secret code “East Wind Rain” which relayed the failure of discussion with the western countries prompted the Japanese to rain bombs from the 359 fighter crafts on Pearl Harbor! America’s naval fleet kept in readiness to save Philippines was totally destroyed due to this sudden attack, but America woke up quickly.
1942 AD
In the meanwhile the research on atomic weapon manufacturing had completed its first stage and in August the real work started. As the plan was hatched in the city of New York, it was called “Manhattan Project”. This 3 years project had involved an enormous amount of 200 million dollars! American President Roosevelt had taken the approval for spending of such a huge sum from the people and the Senate by assuring them that the money would be spent towards ending the war soon in their favor and become stronger which in turn would stop Japan and Russia from becoming friendly and more powerful.
1943 AD
It was time for American President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to decide the place on which the new weapon would be used! Japan and Germany were in their list. They listed three options to bring the war to an end.
a) Capture Japan and bring the situation under control
b) Allow Russia to continue with its monarchy and make Russia fight against Japan
c) Use of atomic weaponry
They had to opt out of first option, as Japan is protected on all sides by nature and hence extremely difficult to act on. It will be impossible to fight with the strong Japanese air force or to fight by crossing the seashore of Japan. The second option would make Russia more powerful as it would tantamount to acceptance of its superiority! Hence it was decided to use atomic weapon on Japan by putting first and third option together!
1944 AD
America decided to have a trial run by bombing Japanese cities. The city of Tokyo got bombed every 2 meters and ruined totally. The present day Tokyo that we get to see is the result of planned development of Tokyo after the bombing. The present day Tokyo and its symbol Tokyo Tower with a height of 333 meters (which is 13 meters taller than the famed Eiffel Tower of Paris) reminds one of the phoenix bird which keeps coming alive even after getting reduced to ashes.
1945 AD
American President Franklin Roosevelt passed away on 12th April. Harry Truman took charge as President. As Manhattan Project was a secret mission, the newly elected President did not have much clue about it. At the same time, he had to do something urgently to bring the war to an end as he sensed the displeasure of the people. Under this circumstance, it was decided to continue the manufacture of the atomic bomb.
An amount of more than 2 billion dollars and 3 years later, America tested the power of the atomic energy on 16th of July this year. In a desert in New Mexico State, the testing called Trinity was conducted. No one knew the capacity of the bomb as they worked on estimates only. A nuclear scientist by name Edward Teller had estimated the energy of the atom bomb as approximately equivalent to 10,00,000 tonnes of TNT! After conducting Trinity, they could find that the bomb could release energy equivalent to 20,000 tonnes of TNT.
Why Hiroshima?
America had short listed the places to be targeted for the bombing even before July. 17 cities including Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo were listed. 4 cities were further selected from these 17, considering the density of population and the places surrounding the city. 11th of May Hiroshima, Kyoto, Yokohama, and Kokura were chosen as the select four for the final act. As America wanted to know the exact extent of damage done by the bomb, they stopped bombing Kyoto, Hiroshima and Niigata. Unfortunately, Hiroshima was the first in their list as they wanted a place that is really dense with population. Prisoners of war of other countries were not imprisoned in Hiroshima could have been one more reason for Hiroshima to be the first in the list!
As bombing the city with atom bomb was different from regular bombing, the pilots of these war planes needed to be trained on the bombing. Practice sessions were conducted using pumpkins the size of the atom bomb in select places in the deserts of America.
Once this session got completed, America was finally ready to drop the A-bomb.
The orders got issued on 2nd of August!
Paul Tibets would be the pilot
B-29 type airplane called Enola Gay would be used
The bomb was nicknamed “LITTLE BOY”
Little Boy with 29 inches of diameter and 126 inches of length and weighing 9700 pounds and having uranium as its main material got fitted to Enola Gay!
1945, August 6
Japanese radar detects a foreign fighter aircraft around two in the morning, within the city limits of Hiroshima and promptly broadcast through radio and loud-speakers total black-out. People literally freeze inside their houses. Another three hours pass and Japanese shoot down that aircraft and after ensuring that there is no damage to anything they allow people to move out. Common man starts his regular day. Children start leaving homes for school and office-goers leave their houses.
8.00 AM
Two more aircrafts hover in the sky of Hiroshima.
The first one drop something the size of a big pumpkin and leaves; the second one lingers on. The soldiers watch the sky puzzled.
The officer watching this in the radar just gets up to inform his senior, and immediately he finds himself bleeding and feels excess heat. All the instruments including the radar start melting. Buildings start burning and everywhere people are screaming. The radar building is in a place much away from Hiroshima. In a circumference of 28 meters from the place where the bomb was dropped, everything except stones and mud are totally destroyed without any trace within a matter of few seconds. The amount of heat generated by the bomb was 3,00,000 degree Celsius. There was no way to estimate the number of dead! After a few days they approximately listed the number of people missing and estimated the casualty.
There is an elementary school within 3 km radius of Hiroshima. Children start arriving around 8 o’clock in the school. A boy named Kaneko generally goes to school with his elder sister. That fateful day, as his sister was not well, he had to go to school alone. As he was scared of going alone, he was refusing to leave home. His mother promised him the tri-cycle that his uncle would bring him that evening and accompanied him to school. She waited outside the school till school could start, as she knew that he might come running out of school. It was 8.10 and the school would start by 8.20. She noticed a small boy crying near the gate whereas all other children were going inside the school. She went to him and noticed that he is her friend’s son. He was crying as his father had not come to drop him in the school. She took him to a shop nearby and got a chocolate and was watching him eating the chocolate happily. Suddenly she felt the temperature increasing and saw herself bleeding. Even before she could realize what was happening, she felt her flesh hanging out of her body! Children were coming running out of the school. Some were crying for water and many fell dead on their way. Everywhere people were crying for water. Still she did not find her son. She could understand that something terrible has happened. She realized that she might die of heat very soon. She felt she should have allowed her son to stay back like her daughter and felt guilty of bringing her son to his death and died with that thought.
The city of Hiroshima is in the shape of “V”. Two rivers run on both sides of the city and join at the end of V. Those who were near the river started jumping into the river not minding the depth when the heat of the bomb was felt. Men, women, children were jumping madly into the river not even thinking whether there was someone underneath, whether they had any clothing on them. They had only one thought that of reducing the heat they felt with their flesh hanging out of their body, and alas, after falling into the river they realized that even the river water was boiling hot! It is not surprising that the river water started boiling, as there was more than 5000 degree heat very near the river. Not only men, but horses and dogs also jumped into the boiling river not imagining the temperature of the water.
It took all of less than two minutes! It is heart wrenching to know that the second aircraft was photographing all this from above! Till the smoke generated by the bomb could come to the level of the aircraft, they could film the happenings in a 16 mm film for 3 minutes and 50 seconds! Those photographs would make anyone cry; then imagine the tenacity of the person who could photograph such horrible scenes! We can excuse these guys also with the thought that they just completed the task given to them from their governments! But, what to think of the American Government which ordered the bombing of Nagasaki just 3 days after Hiroshima bombing??
A journalist who reached the spot after 3 or 4 hours says, “How much ever I try, I could not focus my camera; I opened the lens and found that it is drenched with my tears”. One photograph which he shot is being used by the schools of Japan today to teach Physics. The lesson that teaches the concept that black color absorbs heat is taught using this photograph wherein the back of a girl in a yellow kimono with black squares on it is seen with the black squares alone burnt off!
When everyone was running helter shelter wondering whether to save oneself or try to help others, it started raining. Those who thought that God has kindly sent a rain to reduce the heat died even before realizing that even God had forsaken them that day. Radio active rays had caused the acid rain. No need to say that the fishes in the water where this rain fell also died! One lady was found struggling to come out of a damaged building. They could rescue her skeleton by the time they could reach her. She died pleading others to rescue her child!
Sadako
The effect of A bomb did not stop. It spread its tentacles over a period of time. Japanese women love their long black hair. They consider it their crowing glory. They take care of their hair from childhood. Just after the death of relatives and near and dear ones had been overcome to certain extent, a girl called, Sadako, who was in her Sixth form, was waiting for her mother to comb her long black hair. She was just joyously telling her mother how she won the first prize in school in running race and how she is planning to take part in the district level race that will be held very soon. Her mother had just finished her household chores and started combing Sadako’s hair. She just could not comprehend what was happening. The whole hair of Sadako was in her hand! Her eyes started raining tears. Sadako who was happily narrating the running race wondered why her mother is speechless and turned to see. To find her hair in her mother’s hand was a shock to poor Sadako. Running her hands over her scalp, she realized it was absolutely bald! Just the previous day she had run with her long hair criss-crossing her back and won the first place! How to run in the district level race with a bald head? Bald head for the future athlete? Just the thought was frightening. Her mother got worried and sent her for a medical examination, which sadly confirmed that she has got cancer!
The once healthy child who dreamt of being an athlete and was confident of winning, now confined herself to her home and hospital. Within a month she lost a lot of weight. May be she would have been happy for some more time had she not known that cancer had overtaken her body. Till her end she just could not believe that she would die. She was more troubled by the thought that she could not become an athlete, than for her cancerous condition. She used to ask the doctors attending on her, “Will I survive and participate in the running race? Can I run like before once I leave the hospital? ”. Her only activity or rather time-pass was that of making paper cranes using colorful paper. She had made more than a thousand cranes when she was in hospital. All these cranes are kept in the A bomb museum in the memory of Sadako. Every year, 6th of August finds many children from all the schools sending thousands of paper cranes as homage to Sadako.
A 2 minute film is shown on the effect of radio active rays. I have tried to show the effect in the picture given below.
The effect of the ray
Good chromosomes get cut with radio active rays and get displaced. This causes changes in the body. Otherwise, they just perish as they cannot join with another chromosome and such dead chromosomes cause cancer of the body part.
Though the effect of the rays stopped by 1977 (a period of 32 years) people were scared to live in Hiroshima. Government had to plan the city and construct hospitals, schools, offices, to make the place acceptable. Government had to announce a lot of attractive schemes to induce people to move to Hiroshima.
> Even grass will not grow in a place where atom bomb had exploded
> Human being cannot survive there
> Radioactive rays are still alive there
> Women of Hiroshima leave that place once they conceive
These are some rumors which I believed. Once I saw Hiroshima, I realized that these are just baseless rumors. They have created a beautiful park in the same place where the bomb exploded. This park gave people the hope to migrate back to Hiroshima. Today Hiroshima is as great as Tokyo or Osaka.
August 6th is the day of the victims of A bomb. People who participate in the memorial service take a pledge for stopping the spread of atomic weapons.
When I came out of this museum, I was asked “India has atomic weaponry. President of the country is a nuclear scientist. Hence, please insist that the Government should not use atomic weapons even by mistake. You can at least write letters against use of atomic weapons.” I assured them that our country would never be the first one to use the atomic weapon. Their prompt reply was that “if other irresponsible countries use the atom bomb, would that mean that you can also be equally irresponsible and be part of killing lakhs of innocent people? Would that make your people get life? “I told them that it is necessary to possess atomic power to be considered as a powerful nation in this world. Their parting reply was, “What is the use if your country just gets the tag of being one in a powerful league if you cannot fulfill the basic economic necessities of your citizens? Only when the world can proclaim that all the countries have stopped making atomic and chemical weapons, people of the world can live in peace”.
The purpose of reading history is to correct our past mistakes and never to repeat that. Certain mistakes can never be corrected at all. But it is possible to change the after effects of such misdeeds. What if a city was destroyed by a crime? That was considered as a chance to rebuild the city. What if lakhs of people died? That should be taken as a lesson or warning for stopping repetition of such dreaded act. This is what history of Hiroshima teaches us. Let us live a prosperous life following the lessons learnt from history!
posted by வரலாறு.காம் @ 7/24/2006 09:55:00 PM
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